Football words and expressions beginning with G

[Alex Case]

Any comments or questions glady accepted here or via PM

Gaffer- A slang way of saying “boss”, often used for a MANAGER
Game in hand (a)- When two or more teams are equal on points but one team has played one fewer match and so might have more points when they have played that game, they are said to have a game in hand
Game of two halves (a)- A clichéd expression to say that games often change in the SECOND HALF, for example because of something the COACH has said, a change in tactics, or a SUBSTITUTION
Game- See MATCH
Gazza- The nickname for PAUL GASGOIGNE, a creative but troubled former England player
Giant killers- A team that has BEATen a team from much higher in the LEAGUE, e.g. a NON LEAGUE TEAM beating a team in the PREMIERSHIP and ELIMINATING them from the FA CUP
Gifted players- Often “Naturally gifted players”. Very skilful and creative players. Often used about people who waste their talent.
Give the ball away- For example, PASSing the ball to a player from the other team, being too easy to TACKLE or losing the ball while trying to DRIBBLE. A very negative expression, more so than LOSE THE BALL
Go down- Be RELEGATED
Go past someone- DRIBBLE the ball around someone so that you end up closer to their goal than they are
Go the right way- A GOALKEEPER guessing which way a SHOT will go and so diving in the right direction. Often used for PENALTIES.
Go the wrong way- The opposite of GO THE RIGHT WAY
Go top- Reach first place in the DIVISION during the SEASON
Go up- Be PROMOTED
Goal- (1) The rectangular opening consisting of a horizontal CROSSBAR supported by two BARs, usually with a net behind. (2) Kicking the ball into the goal of the other team
Goal area- Official name for the SIX YARD BOX
Goal celebrations- The way in which players show their enjoyment at having scored a goal, e.g. dancing, embracing or pulling your shirt over your head. These are often individual to certain players or decided on before the goal is scored, but some goal celebrations such as over-long ones can be an offense
Goal difference- When two teams have an equal number of points in a league, which one is further up the TABLE is decided by which has a better total from adding up all the goals they have scored and then taking away all the goals scored against them, e.g. “Chelsea and Birmingham have the same number of points, but Birmingham are FAVOURITES to win the LEAGUE due to a much better goal difference of +22”
Goal fest- A game with lots of goals, e.g. 6-4. The opposite of a NO SCORE DRAW
Goal hanger- An insulting term for a player who rarely goes back into their OWN HALF but instead stays very close to the OPPOSITION goal, mainly used in schoolboy football as they would often be OFFSIDE in professional football
Goal kick- A DEAD BALL situation in which the goalkeeper is allowed to kick the ball from the spot without being tackled, usually due to the ball going behind the GOAL LINE off a player from the other team, but also sometimes in place of a FREE KICK
Goal line- The line that goes through the GOAL and to the two corners, often mentioned when it is controversial whether the ball went into the GOAL or was SAVEd
Goalie- An common informal way to say GOALKEEPER.
Goalkeeper- A player who is allowed to use their hands to save the ball from going into the goal. They have to wear a different shirt from the other players, and usually wear gloves.
Goalless draw- See NO SCORE DRAW
Goalmouth- The area very near the goal, especially right in front of it, and so an easy place to SCORE from
Goalpost- A longer but less common way of saying the (traditionally wooden) POST at the side of the goal
Golden boot- The reward for the most goals scored by one player in a season, e.g. in the Champions’ League
Golden generation- Used to describe lots of great players who just happen to be born in the same country at more or less the same time, perhaps shown by winning a YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP, e.g. “Now that the Portuguese Golden Generation is aging, this is perhaps their last chance to win the World Cup”
Golden goal- A kind of EXTRA TIME where the match only continues until the next goal, at which time the team that scored it wins, with the other team having no chance to score an EQUALISER
Ground- A more common way to say stadium
Group match- A game in the early stages of a competition that finishes with a KNOCKOUT STAGE for the final etc but has teams playing in a mini-league at the beginning, like the World Cup. E.g. “England thought they were joint FAVOURITES to win the European Cup, but now it seems they will be lucky to win any of their group matches”
Group of death- A group in which has no clear FAVOURITEs and so all the teams have a good chance of getting enough points to go through to the next round and therefore the task is very difficult for them
Group stages- In a competition that finishes with a KNOCKOUT stage, the earlier stages in which several teams play each other in a mini league format to see which teams get enough points to progress to the next stage (usually the top two teams)
Gunners (the)- Nickname for English side Arsenal, as “arsenal” means a place where guns are stored

Index of all past and future entries to the EFL Dictionary of Football is here:

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ge...ngenglish.html

[BobK]

You could add 'gutted' (a metaphor which I think refers to being shot in the gut) - but it's very widely used by footballers after a disappointment (in fact it's not commonly used in any other context).

b

[Alex Case]

Thanks Bob, great suggestion. Will add it to the final version

[Tdol]

You could add 'gutted' (a metaphor which I think refers to being shot in the gut) - but it's very widely used by footballers after a disappointment (in fact it's not commonly used in any other context).

b

And England fans after penalty shootouts.

[sun rose]

thanks alot

[bertietheblue]

goalside - a defensive position between your goalkeeper and the opponent's attack

to get goalside - to get into a defensive position ...

[bertietheblue]

good feet as in 'he's got good feet' - he's good at controlling the ball

[bertietheblue]

go = shot

"Go on, have a go!"